LAP

The club got less and less frequent to the point that in the 80's the only birds they could get would be National Guard Helo's at Ft. Hood during their Annual Training. My Airborne unit was doing its own Annual Training when I heard the club was getting a CH-47 Chinook so being a good skydiver w/rig stored with the Riggers I went bakc to an adjacent DZ to "look" for some "lost" equipment. Jumped my butt off for $1.00 a lift per person to 10 grand!!! Hot damn I love skydiving.

My favorite historical recollection of the Leapfrogs and their counter team Chuting Stars involved when they periodically got together and did some unique records....namely a 16 way launched diamond out of a C-123 & a 32 way launched diamond out of a C-130 (which although successful "banged" a few of them up). Great pictures in Parachutist. LAP

Vermont Skydiving at Assprins? Great time skydiving there also Skydive Winnepesauke, Lebanon & Pittfield ME. Man I sure enjoyed my short time in the Northeast. Best way to be a "leaf-peeper" is from Exit altitude!!! Caribou, ME. still have a DZ? Lap

...and what about the "Pintail" which I believe was out of South Africa?? Did the leading edge on that have an elipse? Lap

I'm still jumping my Jonathan 170...bought it new! Never had anything but great openings and they have 99% been on heading. Never forget the first jump on a demo J-170...."Lap, just but the toggle on either hip, you go into a one man downplane" ...was that ever true!! Lap

You are so right Jerry....but oh so handy to the pub....that event makes me FEEL septic even now after all these years.....wuff!!! LAP

One of the low pullers was a guy from Dallas first name Levi, (who has sinced bounced), and you aer so right...a low pull contest in the fullest of definitions!! I remember the crowd screaming too..thanks for reminding me of that. Lap

Thanks Russ....you've been a steady presence in my skydiving history....Thank-you. Took off a couple of years...went to get current 5 weeks ago, stalled my Jonathan, fractured left heel....felt like an idiot. On the mend now, and going back after it. LAP

My contribution....a Dehavilland Herron that was based out of Tulsa, OK. for a while and ran at Texas DZ's. Four recip engines, held a 20-way, a dog to altitude (but had 4 engines) and a wing spar that made extra work for the swoopers because thay had to really work to get over it on exit.

As a military jumper jumping at the R.I. Leapfest, had rig, looked up and found TFSPC and got to make a few jumps up there....heard the story about the Do-228 and the French King Bridge from an incredibly reliable source....LAP

My 1st FB Convention...the last one @ Freeport (Freakport), 13 or so DC/3-C-47's, Beech 99. Watched 2 people bounce inside of a 2 hour period or so. Watched a CRW entanglement result in a guy chopping it @ 300' under a Safety Flyer Ram Air Reserve....just had time to PLF, left brakes stowed. Watched a 98-way record attempt with one guy low, who dumped, got above attempt, chopped it went after it again, went low again landed under Reserve (got free pack job from Riggers based on "ballsy/crazy" move). Old Firestone/Surgar Alpha DC-3 blew an engine, crew worked till O dark thirty in the morning, did flight test, buzzed the campground SO LOW it de-compressed most/all tents...and as that wonderful drone of P&W radials went off in the distance all you could hear in the dark were skydivers cussing, laughing, exclaiming...Please tell me I'm remembering a lot of this correctly!!! LAP

November '68, Benning, 1st 5 jumps ALL out of C-119 "Packet" complete with A/C skin rivets "turning" during power up and all. Y-E-A-H-H Baby!!! LAP

My 1st Static Line...Poteau, OK. Aggie engineered French Papillion configured for S/L, "Fandango" like 1st jump instruction...Instructor/JM....Bill Lee....Anyone know Bill Lee went to Army Airborne School AFTER he had many skydives??? Bill - you and Mark Archer got me started...Thank you SO much.....LAP Austin, TX.

Gary Cobb out of CA. jumped his canopy backwards all the time back in the 80's. First read about him in Parachutist then saw him do it at the 1st World POPs Meet @Ettamoogah Pub New South Wales, Australia 1990....Lap